According to the Japan Coast Guard (JCG), three Chinese marine surveillance ships entered the waters off disputed Tokyo-controlled islands on Monday. The ships were spotted in the 12-nautical-mile zone off the Senkaku islands, which China calls the Diaoyus, shortly after 9:00 am and remained there until 9:00 pm. The same day, the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) of China confirmed that a group of three ships have conducted regular patrols arround the Senkaku/ Diaoyu islands. The Japanese head of the Asian and Oceanic Affairs Bureau, Shinsuke Sugiyama, talked with a Chinese envoy in Japan, Hanzhiqiang to protest the surveillance. This is the 43rd time Chinese ships have entered the water off the Senkaku/ Diaoyus since Tokyo nationalized most of the islands area last September.